Additional Databases and Online Resources

Additional Records with Death Information

Substitute records can contain information about more than one event, and are used when records for an event are not available. Because the substitute records may not be created at the time of the event, it may contain incorrect information. Search for as many substitute records as possible to corroborate information found in substitute records to help improve accuracy.

Use these substitute records to locate death information about your ancestor:

Probates assess the deceased's estate after death, listing surviving family and heirs. They can often give the death date or clues to date of death for the deceased. Not everyone had a probate, making them potentially difficult to find.

Improve searching

[hide]

Tips for finding deaths

Success with finding death records in online databases depends on a few key points:

Your ancestor's name may misspelled. Try the following search tactics:

Try searching for the parents if known, instead of the child.

Try different spelling variations of the first and last name of your ancestor (e.g. Aleta, Aletta, Alette).

Try a given name search (leave out the last names).

The use of patronymic surnames in Finland ended in the late 1800s. (See this article for more information.)

Expand the date range of the search.

Try searching with the province name only instead of by parish.

If your ancestor's name is common, try adding more information to narrow the search, such as relationships.

Why the record may not exist

[hide]

Known Record Gaps

Records Start
In general the Lutheran church began keeping records after a 1686 royal decree. Each parish gradually complied with this decree. Record availability before that time period is inconsistent.

Records Published by FamilySearch
Collection coverage tables show the places and time periods of original records published by FamilySearch. For any FamilySearch collections you did not find your ancestor in, check the coverage table for gaps in the online collection. If the time period or location your ancestor lived in is missing from the collection, it may require searches in records found at original repository or finding substitute records for the event.